The Happy Home Podcast with Arlene Pellicane

The pressure to be endlessly happy is leaving the next generation more anxious and isolated than ever. In his new book, The Happiness Crisis: How Adversity Can Build a Resilient and Joyful Next Generation, Dr. Jonathan Eckert calls for a culture shift that we can begin at home.
How do we embrace adversity and see the value of challenges, instead of becoming parents who make everything too easy? Dr. Eckert explains the biblical connection between joy and struggle, and why removing adversity — "snowplow parenting" — prevents kids from developing resilience.
Arlene and Jon work through real-life scenarios, including a child facing bullying and a teen caught using AI to cheat on a school assignment. The conversation closes with practical steps for helping kids rediscover purpose and joy through community and faith.
Dr. Jonathan Eckert is a former middle school teacher and basketball coach who worked in the Bush and Obama Department of Education. He has a PhD from Vanderbilt, and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Baylor Center for School Leadership.

02:35 Why the pursuit of happiness backfires
03:29 How phones and comparison fuel kids' unhappiness
04:57 Snowplow parents vs. building "muscles around the backbone"
09:15 Roleplay: what to say when a kid is bullied at school
14:40 Roleplay: when a teen gets caught using AI to cheat
21:18 My teacher story: destructive vs. productive struggle
28:17 The "man in the arena" quote and the ABCs of joy

Connect with Dr. Jonathan Eckert at jonathaneckert.org or on Linkedin.
Grab a copy of Dr. Eckert's book The Happiness Crisis.
More Resources from Arlene Pellicane:
SUBSCRIBE to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week" and get the checklist, 7 Warning Signs of Screen Overuse.
Check out Arlene's BOOKS including Parents Rising, Screen Kids, and Making Marriage Easier.
Follow Arlene on Instagram and/or Facebook
Watch the podcast on Arlene's YouTube Channel
How did Arlene's kids adapt to not having phones, video games or social media? Watch the free video, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words.
Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Want to invite Arlene to speak to your group? Email speaking@arlenepellicane.com
Not sure about a smartphone for your child? Check out the Gabb Wireless phone for kids and teens (use the promo code ARLENE)

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Do your parents offer too much parenting advice? Too little?
Lori Wildenberg, author of Grandparents Make Grand Partners, joins Arlene to talk about grandparent and adult-child relationships. They cover how to invite an under-involved grandparent to do more, and how to address a grandparent who offers too much unsolicited advice. Lori shares how she and her husband stay close to their adult daughter despite differing views, and how families can keep connected across distance. You'll also get to hear ideas for handling screen-time disagreements and passing down family faith stories.
02:58 — Why today's grandparents differ from earlier generations
05:10 — How to reach an uninvolved grandparent
10:30 — Story: asking a grandparent to "tone it down"
13:08 — Why unsolicited advice feels like criticism
16:08 — Loving an adult child through disagreement
24:03 — Staying connected with grandkids who live far away
26:49 — Navigating different screen-time philosophies
31:53 — The power of grandparents and passing down faith stories
Connect with Lori Wildenberg on her website
Grab Lori Wildenberg's book, Grandparents Make Grand Partners
Follow Lori on Instagram
Follow Lori on Facebook

More Resources from Arlene Pellicane:
SUBSCRIBE to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week" and get the checklist, 7 Warning Signs of Screen Overuse.
Check out Arlene's BOOKS including Parents Rising, Screen Kids, and Making Marriage Easier.
Follow Arlene on Instagram and/or Facebook
Watch the podcast on Arlene's YouTube Channel
How did Arlene's kids adapt to not having phones, video games or social media? Watch the free video, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words.
Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Want to invite Arlene to speak to your group? Email speaking@arlenepellicane.com
Not sure about a smartphone for your child? Check out the Gabb Wireless phone for kids and teens (use the promo code ARLENE)
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Sleep can sometimes feel unproductive, but believe it or not, sleep is valuable in more ways than we realize! Sure there are many physical benefits, but there are also important spiritual benefits.
Brett McCracken, author of The Wisdom of Sleep: How Rest Reveals God's Truth and Revives Weary Souls, joins Arlene to explore why God designed humans to need sleep at all. They discuss sleep as a gift of grace that can't be earned, the vulnerability of nighttime and what it teaches about dependence on God, and practical tips for helping both adults and children sleep better. The conversation also turns to how screens have replaced older nighttime dangers, and how sleep itself pushes back against an AI-driven culture that prizes constant productivity. Brett shares personal reflections as a father of four on choosing rest over an ever-growing to-do list.

03:53 — The central question: why did God design humans to need sleep?
05:52 — Sleep as an ungratefully-received gift of grace
06:38 — Nighttime vulnerability and learning to trust God's protection
10:03 — Practical sleep tips for adults and kids
15:27 — Phones and screens as the new "danger of the night"
18:23 — John Piper's quote on sleep as a corrective to pride
26:21 — AI, human limitation, and what sleep reveals about being human

Get a copy of Brett McCracken's book, The Wisdom of Sleep, on Amazon and everywhere books are sold.
Connect with Brett at https://www.brettmccracken.com/

More Resources from Arlene Pellicane:
SUBSCRIBE to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week" and get the checklist, 7 Warning Signs of Screen Overuse.
Check out Arlene's BOOKS including Parents Rising, Screen Kids, and Making Marriage Easier.
Follow Arlene on Instagram and/or Facebook
Watch the podcast on Arlene's YouTube Channel
How did Arlene's kids adapt to not having phones, video games or social media? Watch the free video, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words.
Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Want to invite Arlene to speak to your group? Email speaking@arlenepellicane.com
Not sure about a smartphone for your child? Check out the Gabb Wireless phone for kids and teens (use the promo code ARLENE)

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Do you ever wonder, Will my kids turn out okay? Am I messing them up?
Get ready to be encouraged and empowered by today's conversation with mom, nana, and bestselling author of 60+ books Pam Farrel. You're going to learn how to be a proactive, unworried, confident parent as we head into a new school year.
Pam explains the Learner-Leader framework she and her husband Bill developed to raise their three sons, including gift-giving traditions, age-specific contracts, and decision-making exercises. Pam shares two memorable stories from her own family: Brock's prayer on the 50-yard line after a huge football loss, and Zach's turnaround after he punched through a wall at age eight. The conversation covers how to start being proactive with a teenager, the role of prayer in parenting, and more.
03:00 – Proactive vs. passive parenting: the key difference
04:34 – The Learner-Leader Day tradition
08:14 – Where "Learner, Leader, Lover of God" came from: Pam's prayer over newborn Brock
13:02 – One step for parents who haven't been proactive with a teen
16:51 – The movie night story: letting Zach make (and own) the call
28:00 – The 50-yard line: Brock's prayer after a 48-0 loss
31:16 – Zach's rock-bottom moment and the "treasure map" turnaround

Connect and find out more about Pam Farrel at love-wise.com
Find the parenting resources mentioned on the podcast here: https://www.love-wise.com/parenting/
Get Pam & Bill Farrel's book, The 10 Best Decisions Every Parent Can Make here.
More Resources from Arlene Pellicane:
SUBSCRIBE to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week" and get the checklist, 7 Warning Signs of Screen Overuse.
Check out Arlene's BOOKS including Parents Rising, Screen Kids, and Making Marriage Easier.
Follow Arlene on Instagram and/or Facebook
Watch the podcast on Arlene's YouTube Channel
How did Arlene's kids adapt to not having phones, video games or social media? Watch the free video, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words.
Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Want to invite Arlene to speak to your group? Email speaking@arlenepellicane.com
Not sure about a smartphone for your child? Check out the Gabb Wireless phone for kids and teens (use the promo code ARLENE)

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Sometimes God's presence and glory seems separated from everyday life, but what if daily grace can be experienced in the mundane?
In this episode, Arlene talks with beloved author and artist Ruth Chou Simons about her new book, This Moment Matters: 100 Ways to Cultivate a Grace-Laced Life. Ruth shares how raising six boys reshaped her expectations of motherhood, and how she turns ordinary tasks — cooking, closets, evening routines — into moments of discipleship.
They discuss scripture memory that adapts to different seasons of life, stewarding a home without chasing perfection, and the practice of looking your children in the eye instead of calling out instructions across the room. The conversation offers practical ways to notice God's presence in daily, unremarkable moments.
01:43 – Raising six boys and letting go of the story she expected
04:12 – Turning kitchen prep time into discipleship moments
07:11 – Teaching multiple kids at once without needing to be perfect
09:58 – Scripture memory that fits your actual season, not a perfect system
12:32 – Stewarding your home as a haven, not a showcase
16:37 – Simplifying your closet and choosing a signature accessory
20:41 – Why looking your kids in the eye changes everything
Connect with Ruth Chou Simons on her website
Shop Ruth Chou Simons' art and more at GraceLaced
Follow Ruth Chou Simons on Instagram
Learn more about Ruth's new book, This Moment Matters: 100 Ways to Cultivate a Grace-Laced Life

More Resources from Arlene Pellicane:
SUBSCRIBE to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week" and get the checklist, 7 Warning Signs of Screen Overuse.
Check out Arlene's BOOKS including Parents Rising, Screen Kids, and Making Marriage Easier.
Follow Arlene on Instagram and/or Facebook
Watch the podcast on Arlene's YouTube Channel
How did Arlene's kids adapt to not having phones, video games or social media? Watch the free video, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words.
Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Want to invite Arlene to speak to your group? Email speaking@arlenepellicane.com
Not sure about a smartphone for your child? Check out the Gabb Wireless phone for kids and teens (use the promo code ARLENE)

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.